Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • May 21, 2024
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
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Investec Bank plc ("Investec"), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") in the United Kingdom, is acting for Pollen Street Group Limited and for no one else in connection with the Authority to Make Market Purchases and Waiver Resolutions described in this document and accordingly will not be responsible to any person other than Pollen Street Group Limited for providing the protections afforded to clients of Investec or for providing advice in relation to such proposals. Apart from the responsibilities and liabilities, if any, which may be imposed on Investec by Guernsey law, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended)(the "FSMA") or the regulatory regime established thereunder, Investec does not accept any responsibility whatsoever for, and makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the contents of this document or for any other statement made or purported to be made by it, or on its behalf, in connection with the Authority to Make Market Purchases and Waiver Resolutions and nothing in this document will be relied upon as a promise or representation in this respect, whether or not to the past or future. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Investec disclaims all and any responsibility or liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise (save as referred to above), which it might otherwise have in respect of this document or any such statement.
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If you are in any doubt as to any aspect of the proposals referred to in this document or as to the action you should take, you should seek your own advice from a stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant, or other independent professional adviser who, if you are taking advice in the United Kingdom, is authorised under FSMA, or if you are in a territory outside the United Kingdom, is an appropriately authorised independent financial adviser.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares in Pollen Street Group Limited, please forward this document and the accompanying documents as soon as possible to the purchaser or transferee, or to the stockbroker or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected, for transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
(Incorporated and registered in Guernsey number 70165)
Notice is hereby given that the 2024 Annual General Meeting of Pollen Street Group Limited (the "Company") will be held at Slaughter and May, One Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8YY on 13 June 2024 at 3.00 p.m. to transact the business set out in the resolutions overleaf.
Registered Office: Mont Crevelt House, Bulwer Avenue, St Sampson, Guernsey GY2 4LH
20 May 2024
Dear Shareholder,
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I am pleased to enclose the Notice of the 2024 Annual General Meeting (the "AGM") of Pollen Street Group Limited (the "Company") which will be held on 13 June 2024 at Slaughter and May, One Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8YY at 3.00 p.m. The purpose of this letter is to provide you with an explanation of the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM.
The following documentation is enclosed with this letter:
Please note that the Company's Annual Report and Financial Statements in respect of the year ended 31 December 2023 are available to view and to download electronically on the Company's website at https://www.pollenstreetgroup.com/shareholders, together with the Annual Report and Financial Statements of Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) in respect of the year ended 31 December 2023.
If you have previously indicated that you would prefer to receive a printed copy of the Annual Report, then you will also find a copy of both Annual Reports enclosed.
All of the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM will be taken on a poll and are explained in further detail below. The results of the meeting will be announced, in the normal way, as soon as possible following the conclusion of the meeting.
In accordance with the Company's Articles, all directors of the Company, except those retiring, will stand for election or re-election, as applicable, at the AGM. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Julian Dale, who is stepping down as Chief Financial Officer of the Company and will not be standing for re-election and to welcome Lucy Tilley who, subject her election, will join the board of directors with effect from the end of the AGM and commence in her new role as Chief Financial Officer of the Company with effect from 24 June 2024.
The Panel has confirmed that a group of Shareholders is presumed to form a concert party for the purposes of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Code"). As at the Latest Practicable Date the members of the Concert Party – who are the Pollen Street Partners and the Pollen Street Senior Managers, details of whom are disclosed in Part III of this document – between them were interested in 23,709,568 Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 37.26 per cent. of the shares carrying voting rights of the Company. The Concert Party's highest percentage of shares carrying voting rights held in the 12 months prior to the Latest Practicable Date was approximately 37.89 per cent.
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The Code applies to the Company. Under Rule 9 of the Code, any person who acquires an interest in shares which, taken together with shares in which that person or any person acting in concert with that person is interested, carry 30 per cent. or more of the voting rights of a company which is subject to the Code is normally required to make an offer to all the remaining shareholders to acquire their shares.
Similarly, when any person, together with persons acting in concert with that person, is interested in shares which in the aggregate carry not less than 30 per cent. of the voting rights of such a company but does not hold shares carrying more than 50 per cent. of the voting rights of the company, an offer will normally be required if any further interests in shares carrying voting rights are acquired by such person or any person acting in concert with that person.
An offer under Rule 9 must be made in cash at the highest price paid by the person required to make the offer, or any person acting in concert with such person, for any interest in shares of the company during the 12 months prior to the announcement of the offer.
The percentage of shares carrying voting rights in which the Concert Party is interested could be increased by the purchase by the Company of Ordinary Shares through the exercise by the Company of the Authority to Make Market Purchases (in accordance with Resolution 14) or as a result of the 2025 Awards Grants. Any increase in the percentage of shares carrying voting rights of the Concert Party resulting from such steps would normally be treated as an acquisition of interests in shares by the Concert Party for the purposes of Rule 9 of the Code. Accordingly, if the effect of such exercise was to increase the percentage of shares in which the Concert Party is interested, this could result in the Concert Party being obliged to make a general offer for the entire issued Ordinary Share capital of the Company.
In accordance with Rule 37 and Appendix 1 of the Code, the Panel has agreed to waive any requirement on the Concert Party to make a general offer to all shareholders of the Company which could arise as a result of the Authority to Make Market Purchases or the 2025 Awards Grants, provided that, in relation separately to each of the Authority to Make Market Purchases and the 2025 Awards Grant, the Independent Shareholders have passed, on a poll, the relevant Waiver Resolution (as set out below). Accordingly, Independent Shareholders are being asked to approve, on a poll, each of the Waiver Resolutions.
The waiver under Resolution 18, if so approved, will apply to any increase in the percentage of shares carrying voting rights of the Concert Party resulting from the exercise by the Company of the Authority to Make Market Purchases in accordance with Resolution 14 in the period from the AGM to the earlier of the close of business on 13 September 2025 and the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company.
The waiver under Resolution 19, if so approved, will apply to any increases in the percentage of shares carrying voting rights of the Concert Party that result from the 2025 Awards Grant.
The waivers by the Panel will (subject to the discretion of the Panel) be invalidated if any further purchases of Ordinary Shares are made by any member of the Concert Party in the period between the date of this document and the date of the AGM. The waivers by the Panel will also not apply to the purchase of Ordinary Shares by the Concert Party, which would remain subject to the provisions of Rule 9 of the Code as described above. In the event that any or all of the Waiver Resolutions are passed, the Concert Party will not be restricted from making an offer for the Company.
The Concert Party remains fully supportive of the Company's management and has no intention to make any changes to the future business of the Company, to the continued employment of the employees and management of the Group (including material changes in their employment conditions or the balance of their skills and functions), to its pension scheme arrangements, to its fixed assets or to the existing trading facilities for the Company's Ordinary Shares. The Concert Party has also confirmed to the Company that they have no intentions in relation to the strategic direction of the Company, including in respect of the location of the Company's place of business or its headquarters and associated functions. The Company does not carry out research and development.
Further details concerning each Waiver Resolution are set out in Part II of this Notice of AGM.
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Pursuant to the Code, it is necessary to provide an illustration of the Concert Party's maximum potential interests in Ordinary Shares based on certain assumptions. The Concert Party's interest in Ordinary Shares as at the Latest Practicable Date is set out in the following table:
| Concert Party's interest | |
|---|---|
| Number of Ordinary Shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) | in Ordinary Shares |
| 63,631,991/100% | 23,709,568/37.26% |
Assuming (i) full use by the Company of the Authority to Make Market Purchases, (ii) no sales of Ordinary Shares by the Concert Party, (iii) no increase in the Concert Party's interest in Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Awards Grants, (iv) no further issuance of Ordinary Shares by the Company, and (v) no other party (including participants in the Share Plans other than members of the Concert Party) exercising any options or any other rights to subscribe for Ordinary Shares, the Concert Party's maximum potential interest in Ordinary Shares would be as set out in the following table:
| Concert | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party's maximum | ||
| Maximum potential number of Ordinary Shares in issue | potential interest in | |
| (excluding treasury shares) | Ordinary Shares | |
| 57,268,792 / 100% | 23,709,568 /41.40% |
Assuming (i) full use of the 2025 Awards Grant in accordance with the rules of the relevant Share Plan and the Directors' remuneration policy, (ii) no sales of Ordinary Shares by the Concert Party, (iii) no use by the Company of the Authority to Make Market Purchases, (iv) no increase in the Concert Party's interest in Ordinary Shares pursuant to the 2023-2024 Awards Grant, (v) no further issuance of Ordinary Shares by the Company, and (vi) no other party (including participants in the Share Plans other than members of the Concert Party) receiving Ordinary Shares following the vesting and/or exercise of any options or awards or any other rights to subscribe for Ordinary Shares, the Concert Party's maximum potential interest in Ordinary Shares would be as set out in the following table:
| Concert | |
|---|---|
| Party's maximum | |
| Maximum potential number of Ordinary Shares in issue | potential interest in |
| (excluding treasury shares) | Ordinary Shares |
| 63,861,991/100% | 23,939,568/37.49% |
Assuming (i) full use by the Company of the Authority to Make Market Purchases, (ii) the 2023-2024 Awards vesting and/or being exercised in full, with the subsequent issue or transfer of Ordinary Shares to the relevant member of the Concert Party in settlement of such 2023-2024 Awards, in accordance with the rules of the relevant Share Plan and the Directors' remuneration policy, (iii) full use of the 2025 Awards Grant in accordance with the rules of the relevant Share Plan and the Directors' remuneration policy, (iv) no sales of Ordinary Shares by the Concert Party, (v) no further issuance of Ordinary Shares by the Company, and (vi) no other party (including participants in the Share Plans other than members of the Concert Party) receiving Ordinary Shares following the vesting and/or exercise of any options or awards or any other rights to subscribe for Ordinary Shares, the Concert Party's maximum potential interest in Ordinary Shares would be as set out in the following table:
| (excluding treasury shares) | Ordinary Shares |
|---|---|
| Maximum potential number of Ordinary Shares in issue | potential interest in |
| Party's maximum | |
| Concert |
57,673,792/100% 24,114,568/41.81%
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At a general meeting held on 1 June 2022, Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) obtained shareholder approval for the adoption of the Legacy Share Plans. This approval was replicated in shareholder resolutions of the Company passed on 8 December 2023 such that the Share Plans would, conditional on the scheme of arrangement becoming effective, be adopted by the Company. The Share Plans are substantially equivalent to the Legacy Share Plans, subject to any changes necessary to reflect Guernsey law. The LTIP is a discretionary share plan, under which the Remuneration Committee may grant awards of shares in the Company to incentivise and retain key employees of the Group, including the members of the Concert Party. The DBP is a discretionary share plan implemented so that a portion of an employee's annual bonus can be deferred into an award of shares in the Company. The terms of the Share Plans enable the Remuneration Committee: (i) to grant conditional awards and nil-cost options to subscribe for shares; and (ii) to satisfy awards and nil-cost options by means of the issue of new shares, the transfer of shares out of treasury, and/or market purchases of shares.
If you would like to vote on the resolutions but will not be attending the AGM, you may appoint a proxy by completing and returning the enclosed proxy form to the Company's registrar, Computershare, at Computershare Investor Services (Guernsey) Limited, c/o The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZY, so as to arrive no later than 3.00 p.m. on 11 June 2024. Alternatively, you may appoint a proxy or proxies electronically either via the website run by Computershare at www.investorcentre.co.uk/eproxy using the Control Number, Shareholder Reference Number (SRN) and PIN provided on the Form of Proxy or if you hold your shares in CREST, you may appoint a proxy via the CREST system (see notes 8 to 11 to the Notice of AGM). Likewise, if you appoint a proxy electronically, your proxy appointment must be received by 3.00 p.m. on 11 June 2024. If you hold your shares through a nominee service, please contact the nominee service provider regarding the process for appointing a proxy. The appointment of a proxy will not prevent you from attending the AGM and voting in person should you so wish. Further details relating to voting by proxy are set out in the notes to the Notice of AGM on pages 18-20 of this document.
All resolutions for consideration at the AGM will be voted on by way of a poll, rather than a show of hands. This means that Shareholders will have one vote for each Ordinary Share held.
If you have any questions relating to the enclosed documents, please call the Company's registrars, Computershare, on 0370 707 4040. Lines are open from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., Monday to Friday. The helpline cannot give any financial, legal or tax advice.
There are a number of documents available for inspection on the Company's website, https://www.pollenstreetgroup.com/shareholders, or at the registered office of the Company during usual business hours on any weekday (public holidays excepted), from the date of the Notice of AGM until the conclusion of the AGM and these will also be available for inspection at the AGM venue from at least 15 minutes before the AGM until the conclusion of the AGM, including:
The documents available for inspection under the first two items above are incorporated by reference into this document and are available to view and to download electronically on the Company's website at https://www.pollenstreetgroup.com/shareholders.
Printed copies of all of the documents incorporated by reference into this document are available free of charge on request from the Company Secretary in writing at Link Company Matters Limited, 6th Floor, 65 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7NQ, or by telephone at +44 (0) 333 300 1950. Printed copies will only be sent where valid requests are received from such persons.
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Full details of the above resolutions are contained in the Notice of AGM. The Directors consider that Resolutions 1 to 17 to be considered at the AGM are in the best interests of the Company and its members as a whole.
Accordingly, the Directors unanimously recommend that you vote IN FAVOUR of all of these resolutions.
The Non-Concert Party Directors, who have been so advised by Investec, consider the waivers of the obligations that could arise on the Concert Party to make an offer under Rule 9 of the Code on the (i) exercise of the Authority to Make Market Purchases, and (ii) the 2025 Awards Grant to be fair and reasonable and in the best interests of the Independent Shareholders and the Company as a whole. In providing its advice to the Non-Concert Party Directors, Investec has taken into account the Non-Concert Party Directors' commercial assessments. In accordance with the provisions of the Code, the Concert Party is considered to be interested in the outcome of each of the Waiver Resolutions and, accordingly, none of its members will vote on the Waiver Resolutions.
Accordingly, the Non-Concert Party Directors unanimously recommend that Independent Shareholders vote IN FAVOUR of each of the Waiver Resolutions to be proposed at the AGM, as the Non-Concert Party Directors and certain of their close family members and connected persons intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings of Ordinary Shares, which amount to 0.004 per cent. per cent of the issued Ordinary Shares.
Yours sincerely
Chair
Pollen Street Group Limited
20 May 2024
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2024 Annual General Meeting of Pollen Street Group Limited (the "Company") will be held at 3.00 p.m. on 13 June 2024 at Slaughter and May, One Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8YY to transact the business set out in the resolutions below.
You will be asked to consider and if thought fit to pass the resolutions below. Resolutions 1 to 15 inclusive will be proposed as ordinary resolutions; this means that for each of those ordinary resolutions to be passed, more than 50 per cent. of the votes cast must be in favour. For Resolutions 5, 7, 9 and 10 the votes of the Independent Shareholders will be counted separately in order to satisfy Listing Rule 9.2.2 E. Resolutions 16 and 17 will be proposed as special resolutions; this means that for each of those special resolutions to be passed, at least 75 per cent. of the votes cast must be in favour.
Resolutions 18 and 19 (the Waiver Resolutions) will be proposed as ordinary resolutions, and only Independent Shareholders will be entitled to vote. Please see section 3 of the Chair's Letter for more information.
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THAT the Audit Committee be authorised to determine the remuneration of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditors of the Company.
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and so that the Directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates or legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter, such authorities to expire at the end of the next annual general meeting of the Company or, if earlier, at the close of business on 13 September 2025 but, in each case, during this period the Company may make offers and enter into agreements which would, or might, require Ordinary Shares to be issued or rights to be granted to subscribe for or convert any security into Ordinary Shares after the authority ends and the Directors may issue Ordinary Shares or grant rights to subscribe for or convert securities into Ordinary Shares under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
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and so that the Directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates or legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter;
such authority to expire at the end of the next annual general meeting of the Company (or, if earlier, at the close of business on 13 September 2025), but, in each case prior to its expiry the Company may make offers, and enter into agreements, which would, or might, require equity securities to be issued and treasury shares to be sold after the authority expires and the Directors may issue equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
such authority to expire at the end of the next annual general meeting of the Company (or, if earlier, at the close of business on 13 September 2025), but, in each case, prior to its expiry the Company may make offers, and enter into agreements, which would, or might, require equity securities to be issued and treasury shares to be sold after the authority expires and the Directors may issue equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
In order to comply with the Code, only the votes cast by the Independent Shareholders, on a poll, will be counted for the purposes of Resolution 18.
In order to comply with the Code, only the votes cast by the Independent Shareholders, on a poll, will be counted for the purposes of Resolution 19.
By order of the Board
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Company Secretary
20 May 2024
6th Floor, 65 Gresham Street, London, England, EC2V 7NQ
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The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (the "Companies Law") requires the directors to lay the Company's annual report and accounts before the Company in a general meeting for the year ended 31 December 2023. A resolution to receive and adopt the annual accounts, together with the strategic report, Directors' report and auditor's report is included as an ordinary resolution.
An advisory resolution to approve the Directors' remuneration report is included as an ordinary resolution. The Directors' remuneration report is set out on pages 94-96 of the Pollen Street Limited Annual Report.
A resolution to approve the Company's existing policy to pay two interim dividends per year.
Under the Company's articles of incorporation, the Board is authorised to approve the payment of interim dividends without the need for prior approval of the Company's shareholders.
However, having regard to corporate governance best practice relating to the payment of interim dividends without the approval of a final annual dividend by a company's shareholders, the Board has decided to seek express approval from shareholders of its current dividend policy to pay two interim dividends per year.
Notwithstanding the provisions of the Company's Articles, it is the intention of the Board to refrain from authorising any further interim dividend payments until such time as the Company's dividend policy is approved by its shareholders. Accordingly, if Resolution 4 is not passed at the AGM, it is the Board's intention to recommend the declaration of any future dividends to the Company's shareholders for approval in a general meeting until such time as an equivalent resolution approving the Company's dividend policy is approved by the shareholders.
The Company's Articles require that any director appointed by the Board retire and seek election and/or re-election at every AGM.
In accordance with this approach, Robert Sharpe, Lindsey McMurray, Jim Coyle, Gustavo Cardenas, Joanne Lake, Richard Rowney and Lucy Tilley will stand for election or re-election to the Board (as applicable). Subject to her election, Lucy will join the Board following the end of the AGM and commence her role as Chief Financial Officer of the Company with effect from 24 June 2024.
The diverse skills and experience of each director, which can be found below, demonstrate why their contribution is, and continues to be, important to the Company's long-term sustainable success.
Under the Listing Rules, a dual voting structure applies to the election or re-election by shareholders of any independent non-executive director of a company where the company has a controlling shareholder. The Company is required to comply with these provisions as a result of its Concert Party – who are the Pollen Street Partners and the Pollen Street Senior Managers, details of whom are disclosed in Part III of this document – controlling more than 30 per cent. of the voting rights of the Company. As a result, the re-election of Robert Sharpe (Chair), Jim Coyle, Richard Rowney and Joanne Lake as independent nonexecutive directors by shareholders must be approved by a majority vote of both: (i) the shareholders of the Company and (ii) the independent shareholders of the Company (that is, shareholders of the Company excluding the Concert Party). Therefore, Resolutions 5, 7, 9 and 10 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions which all shareholders may vote on, but in addition the Company will separately count the number of votes cast by independent shareholders in favour of each of these resolutions (as a proportion of the total votes of the independent shareholders cast on the resolution) to determine whether the second threshold referred to in (ii) above has been met. The Company will announce the results of these resolutions on this basis as well as announcing the results of the ordinary resolutions of all shareholders shortly after the AGM through a Regulatory Information Service and published on the Company's website at https://www.pollenstreetgroup.com/shareholders.
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Chair of the Board and the Nomination Committee
Robert has over 45 years' experience in retail banking and is currently Chair at MetroBank plc and Hampshire Trust Bank plc. He has held an extensive number of board appointments both in the UK and the Middle East including Non-Executive Director at Aldermore Bank plc, George Wimpy plc, Barclays Bank UK Retirement Fund, Vaultex Limited, LSL Properties plc, RIAS plc and several independent Non-Executive Director roles at banks in Qatar, UAE, Oman and Turkey. Robert was previously Chief Executive Officer at West Bromwich Building Society, a role he took to chart and implement its rescue plan. Prior to this, he was Chief Executive Officer at Portman Building Society and Bank of Ireland in the UK.
Lindsey founded Pollen Street Capital Limited in 2013 and is the CEO as well as Chair of the Investment Committee. Lindsey has been investing in Private Equity and Private Credit for over 25 years. Lindsey has built Pollen Street into a fast growing, purpose led asset manager investing with the mega-trends across financial and business services, with a diversified assets under management, referred to as AuM, based across Private Equity and senior secured Credit.
Before she founded Pollen Street Capital Limited, Lindsey led the team managing the £1.1 billion Special Opportunities Fund within RBS and spent six years as a Partner at Cabot Square Capital, focusing on operating investments in real estate and other asset-backed investments.
Lindsey serves as Non-Executive Director of several portfolio companies including Shawbrook Bank and Cashflows Europe. She has a First Class Honours degree in Accounting and Finance and studied for an MPhil in Finance from Strathclyde University. Outside of work Lindsey is a keen runner and has successfully completed the Marathon Des Sables in 2007 and 2011. She also supports several charities with a particular focus on mentoring children in state schools, supporting climate action initiatives through producing documentary films, and supporting the speech and language charity, Auditory Verbal UK, which provided early years therapy to her daughter Grace.
Senior Independent Director to the Board Chair of the Audit Committee
Jim is a Non-Executive Director, Chair of the Audit Committee, member of the Risk Committee and member of the Chair's Nominations and Remuneration Committee at HSBC UK Bank plc and Chair of HSBC Trust Company (UK) Ltd. Chair of Marks & Spencer Unit Trust Management Limited; and a Non-Executive Director of Marks and Spencer Financial Services plc. He is also Deputy Chair of the Oversight Board and member of the Audit Governance Board of Deloitte LLP. Former appointments include: Chair of the Board and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of World First UK Limited; Chair of Supply@ME Capital PLC, Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Scottish Water, member of Committees of the Financial Reporting Council, Group Financial Controller for Lloyds Banking Group; Group Chief Accountant of Bank of Scotland; member of the Audit Committee of the British Bankers Association; Non-Executive Director of the Scottish Building Society; and Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Vocalink plc.
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Gustavo Cardenas is a Managing Director at Wafra, where he leads Wafra's strategic partnership investment mandates in both established and growth state asset management businesses. While at Wafra, Gustavo has completed several direct minority investments, financings and secondary investments. Previously, Gustavo was a Vice President at Hamilton Lane, focused on co-investments and fund investments. He began his career in investment banking at Bank of America Securities and then at Mesoamerica Partners, a Central American financial group. Gustavo earned a BA from Harvard College and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.
Joanne has over 35 years' experience in financial and professional services and also acts as independent Non-Executive Chair of Made Tech Group plc, the AIM-listed leading provider of digital, data and technology services to the UK public sector, Senior Independent Director of Main Market-listed land promotion, property development and investment, and construction group, Henry Boot PLC, and is an independent Non-Executive Director at AIM-listed Gateley (Holdings) plc, the legal and professional services group and Braemar PLC, an established international provider of shipping, marine and energy services. Joanne is a Chartered Accountant and has previously held senior roles at UK investment banks including Panmure Gordon, Evolution Securities and Williams de Broe and in audit and business advisory services with PwC. Joanne is also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and a member of its Corporate Finance Faculty and is a fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.
Member of the Audit Committee, the Nomination Committee and the Remuneration Committee
Richard is Group CEO of Nucleus Financial Group a leading retirement and wealth management specialist managing over £83 billion of assets. The Group incorporates the businesses of James Hay Pensions, Nucleus Platforms and Curtis Banks and has created one of the largest retirement platforms in the UK. Nucleus is backed by HPS Investment Partners, Epiris and FNZ and is the leading consolidator in the platform market. The business recently purchased Third Financial with completion anticipated in the Autumn, subject to regulatory approval. He is also a Non-Executive Director at MSP Capital Limited. Prior to this, Richard was Group Chief Executive of LV=, a leading financial services provider and a mutual where he worked as an executive member of the board for 13 years. Richard left LV= at the end of 2019 following the sale of the General Insurance business to the Allianz Group. Richard had led the business to win the Moneywise Most Trusted Life Insurer award as well as YouGov's UK's Most Recommended Insurer. Prior to his position as Chief Executive Officer he had been Managing Director of the group's Life & Pensions business which he successfully turned into one of the UK's leading protection and retirement specialist companies. Prior to his time at LV= Richard held various Chief Operating Officer and risk roles across Barclays corporate and retail banking. Richard holds a first-class degree in Geography from the University of Leeds and an MBA from Henley Business School and completed the Harvard Management Programme in 2006.
Lucy joins Pollen Street Group Limited in June 2024. She was most recently Chief Financial Officer at Mortgage Advice Bureau (Holdings) plc ("MAB"), having joined the business in 2015. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1996 with KPMG, and is an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. Prior to joining MAB, Lucy was a director in the corporate broking team at Canaccord Genuity Limited, and was a key part of the team advising MAB on its admission to AIM in 2014. At Canaccord Genuity Limited and in her previous role at WestLB Panmure, she advised numerous quoted and unquoted companies predominantly in the financial services sector. Lucy is also a Trustee of the Mortgage Advice Bureau Foundation and a Governor at Holmewood House School.
At each meeting at which the Company's financial statements are presented to its members, the Company is required to appoint an auditor to serve until the next such meeting. The Board, on the recommendation of the Audit Committee, recommends the re-appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and this will be proposed to the AGM as Resolution 12. Resolution 13 authorises the Audit Committee to determine the remuneration of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditors.
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Resolution 14 is an ordinary resolution that will grant the Company authority to make market purchases of up to 6,363,199 Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 10 per cent. of the Ordinary Shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) as at the Latest Practicable Date.
The maximum price which may be paid for an Ordinary Share is the higher of: 5 per cent. above the average of the middle market value of an Ordinary Share of the Company for the five business days immediately preceding the day of purchase; and (ii) the higher of the price of the last independent trade of an Ordinary Share. The minimum price which may be paid for each Ordinary Share is £0.01.
Shareholders resolutions of the Company were passed on 8 December 2023 replicating the shareholder authorities of Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) at its annual general meeting held on 15 June 2023 (the "2023 AGM") such that the Company have the same shareholder authorities as Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) (the "2023 Resolutions"). At the 2023 AGM, a special resolution was proposed and passed giving the directors authority, until the conclusion of the 2024 annual general meeting, to make market purchases of Pollen Street Limited's (formerly Pollen Street plc) own issued shares up to a maximum of 10 per cent. of the issued share capital. The Company's existing authority expires at the end of its annual general meeting.
The Board is proposing that it should be given renewed authority to purchase Ordinary Shares in the market. The Directors may exercise the authority granted under this resolution if they consider it to be likely to promote the success of the Company for the benefit of its members as a whole.
Any repurchase of Ordinary Shares will be made subject to the Companies Law, the Articles, the Listing Rules made by the Financial Conduct Authority, the UK version of the Market Abuse Regulation and within any guidelines established by the Board from time to time. This authority shall expire at the conclusion of the 2025 annual general meeting of the Company (or, if earlier, at the close of business on 13 September 2025) when a resolution to renew the authority will be proposed.
As at the Latest Practicable Date, the Company has purchased 577,606 Ordinary Shares under an irrevocable and non-discretionary buyback programme commenced on 21 March 2024, which is below the limit the Company announced for the programme and below the number of Ordinary Shares permitted to be purchased by the Company pursuant to the authority granted under the 2023 Resolutions.
The Company may hold in treasury any of its own shares that it purchases in accordance with the Companies Law and the authority conferred by this resolution. Shares held in treasury may subsequently be cancelled or sold for cash. Once held in treasury, the Company is not entitled to exercise any rights, including the right to attend and vote at meetings, in respect of those shares. Further, no dividend or other distribution of the Company's assets may be made to the Company in respect of the shares held in treasury.
The directors are committed to managing the Company's capital effectively and the timing of any repurchase will be entirely at the directors' discretion.
As at the Latest Practicable Date there were no options outstanding over the Company's Ordinary Share capital and 577,606 treasury shares were held by the Company.
The Code applies to the Company. Under Rule 9 of the Code, any person who acquires an interest in shares which, taken together with shares in which that person or any person acting in concert with that person is interested, carry 30 per cent. or more of the voting rights of a company which is subject to the Code is normally required to make an offer to all the remaining shareholders to acquire their shares.
Similarly, when any person, together with persons acting in concert with that person, is interested in shares which in the aggregate carry not less than 30 per cent. of the voting rights of such a company but does not hold shares carrying more than 50 per cent. of the voting rights of the company, an offer will normally be required if any further interests in shares carrying voting rights are acquired by such person or any person acting in concert with that person.
An offer under Rule 9 must be made in cash at the highest price paid by the person required to make the offer, or any person acting in concert with such person, for any interest in shares of the company during the 12 months prior to the announcement of the offer.
Under Rule 37 of the Takeover Code, when a company purchases its own voting shares, any resulting increase in the percentage of shares carrying voting rights in which a person or group of persons acting in concert is interested will be treated as an acquisition for the purpose of Rule 9 of the Takeover Code (although a shareholder who is neither a director nor acting in concert with a director will not normally incur an obligation to make a Rule 9 offer). However, Rule 37.1 also provides that, subject to prior consultation, the Takeover Panel will normally waive any resulting obligation to make a general offer if approved by a vote, on a poll, of independent shareholders.
268497 Pollen Street NOM pp01-pp19.qxp 20/05/2024 08:09 Page 15
Resolution 15 will be proposed as an ordinary resolution, which requires a simple majority of the votes to be cast in favour. Paragraph (A) of this resolution would give the Directors the authority to issue Ordinary shares or grant rights to subscribe for or convert any securities into Ordinary Shares up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to £212,106.64 (representing 21,210,664 Ordinary Shares). This amount represents approximately one-third of the issued Ordinary Share capital (excluding treasury shares) of the Company as at the Latest Practicable Date.
In line with the limits set out in guidance issued by the Investment Association ("IA"), paragraph (B) of this resolution would give the Directors authority to issue Ordinary Shares or grant rights to subscribe for or convert any securities into Ordinary Shares in connection with a pre-emptive offer, including a rights issue or open offer, in favour of Ordinary Shareholders up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to £424,213.28 (representing 42,421,328 Ordinary Shares), as reduced by the nominal amount of any shares issued under paragraph (A) of this resolution. This amount (before any reduction) represents approximately two-thirds of the issued Ordinary Share capital (excluding treasury shares) of the Company as the Latest Practicable Date.
The authority sought under this resolution will expire at the earlier of 15 September 2025 and the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company held in 2025.
As at the Latest Practicable Date, 577,606 Ordinary Shares are held by the Company in treasury.
Resolutions 16 and 17 will be proposed as special resolutions, each of which requires a 75 per cent. majority of the votes to be cast in favour. They would give the Directors the power to issue Ordinary Shares (or sell any Ordinary Shares which the Company holds in treasury) for cash without first offering them to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing shareholdings.
The power set out in Resolution 16 would be limited to:
Resolution 17 is intended to give the Company flexibility to make non-pre-emptive issues of ordinary shares in connection with acquisitions and other capital investments as contemplated by the Pre-emption Group's Statement of Principles 2022. The power under Resolution 17 is in addition to that proposed by Resolution 16 and would be limited to:
268497 Pollen Street NOM pp01-pp19.qxp 20/05/2024 08:09 Page 16
The Directors have no present intention to exercise the powers sought by Resolutions 16 and 17. If the powers sought by Resolutions 16 and 17 are used in relation to a non-pre-emptive offer, the Directors confirm their intention to follow the shareholder protections in paragraph 1 of Part 2B of the Pre-emption Group's Statement of Principles published in November 2022 and, where relevant, follow the expected features of a follow-on offer as set out in paragraph 3 of Part 2B of the Pre-emption Group's Statement of Principles published in November 2022.
The powers under Resolutions 16 and 17 will expire at the earlier of 13 September 2025 and the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company held in 2025.
Resolution 18, which will be proposed as an ordinary resolution, seeks Independent Shareholders' approval on a poll of a waiver of the obligation that could arise on the Concert Party to make a general offer for the entire issued share capital of the Company as a result of purchases by the Company of Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Authority to Make Market Purchases.
In considering whether to seek a waiver of the mandatory offer provisions set out in Rule 9 of the Code, the Non-Concert Party Directors have taken into account their belief that market purchases of Ordinary Shares as envisaged by Resolution 14, details of which are set out above, will be in the best interests of Pollen Street and Shareholders as a whole.
Resolution 19, which will be proposed as an ordinary resolution, seeks Independent Shareholders' approval on a poll of a waiver of the obligation that could arise on the Concert Party to make a general offer for the entire issued share capital of the Company as a result of the 2025 Awards Grant.
In considering whether to seek a waiver of the mandatory offer provisions set out in Rule 9 of the Code, the Non-Concert Party Directors have taken into account their belief that the grant of awards under the Share Plans to certain members of the Concert Party, details of which are set out above, will be in the best interests of Pollen Street and Shareholders as a whole.
268497 Pollen Street NOM pp01-pp19.qxp 20/05/2024 08:09 Page 17
The following notes explain your general rights as a shareholder and your right to vote at this AGM or to appoint someone else to vote on your behalf.
268497 Pollen Street NOM pp01-pp19.qxp 20/05/2024 08:09 Page 18
268497 Pollen Street NOM pp01-pp19.qxp 20/05/2024 08:09 Page 19
268497 Pollen Street NOM pp20-imp.qxp 20/05/2024 08:10 Page 20
To the best of the knowledge and belief of the Directors (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information for which they take responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.
Pollen Street Group Limited is a non-cellular company limited by shares listed on the London Stock Exchange and is incorporated in Guernsey. The Company is registered in Guernsey with registration number 70165 and has its registered office at Mont Crevelt House, Bulwer Avenue, St Sampson, Guernsey GY2 4LH.
The Company was incorporated on 24 December 2021, in Guernsey. The Company's purpose was to become the parent company of Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) by way of a scheme of arrangement (the "Scheme"). The scheme of arrangement became effective on 24 January 2024. Under the Scheme, shareholders of Pollen Street Limited at the Scheme effective date received one share in Pollen Street Group Limited in exchange for each share held in Pollen Street Limited. Shares issued by the Company were then admitted to the premium listing segment of the official list and to trading on the London Stock Exchange's main market for listed securities and the Company was converted from a private company to a public company and became the new parent company of Pollen Street Limited and its subsidiaries. On 14 February 2024, Pollen Street Limited distributed the entire issued share capital in Pollen Street Capital Holdings Limited to the Company (the "Distribution", and together with the Scheme the "Reorganisation"). Pollen Street Group Limited, Pollen Street Limited and Pollen Street Capital Holdings Limited and their subsidiaries form the "Group".
268497 Pollen Street NOM pp20-imp.qxp 20/05/2024 08:10 Page 21
| Name | Position | Year of appointment to the Pollen Street Board |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Sharpe | Chair Chair, Nomination Committee |
2015 |
| Lindsey McMurray | Chief Executive Officer | 2022 |
| Jim Coyle | Senior Independent Director Chair, Audit Committee |
2015 |
| Gustavo Cardenas | Non-Executive Director | 2022 |
| Julian Dale | Chief Financial Officer | 2022 |
| Joanne Lake | Non-Executive Director Chair, Remuneration Committee |
2021 |
| Richard Rowney | Non-Executive Director Chair, Risk Committee |
2019 |
As at the Latest Practicable Date, the interests of the Directors in the issued share capital of the Company and (so far as the relevant Director is aware, having made due and careful enquiry) persons whose interests in Ordinary Shares each Director is taken to be interested in were as follows:
| Number | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| of Ordinary | shareholding | |
| Name | Shares held | in the Company |
| Lindsey McMurray | 11,946,390 | 18.77% |
| Julian Dale | 221,281 | 0.35% |
| Joanne Lake | 2,715 | <0.01% |
Save as described in this paragraph 4.1, the Directors have no interests in, rights to subscribe for, or short positions in Ordinary Shares.
The Company obtained shareholder approval pursuant to the 2023 Resolutions for the adoption of two employee share plans: the LTIP and the DBP (together, the "Share Plans"). The Share Plans are substantially equivalent to the Legacy Share Plans, subject to any changes necessary to reflect Guernsey law. The LTIP is a discretionary share plan, under which the Remuneration Committee may grant awards of shares in the Company to incentivise and retain key employees of the Group, including the members of the Concert Party. The DBP is a discretionary share plan implemented so that a portion of an employee's annual bonus can be deferred into an award of shares in the Company. The terms of the of the Share Plans enable the Remuneration Committee: (i) to grant conditional awards and nilcost options to subscribe for shares; and (ii) to satisfy awards and nil-cost options by means of the issue of new shares, the transfer of shares out of treasury, and/or market purchases of shares.
Save as disclosed in this Part III, no Director is or has been interested in any transactions which are or were unusual in their nature or conditions, or significant to the business of the Group, during the current or immediately preceding financial year or were effected by any member of the Group during an earlier year and remain in any respect outstanding or unperformed.
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The members of the Concert Party and their respective beneficial and non-beneficial interests in Ordinary Shares as at the Latest Practicable Date were as follows:
| Number | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| of Ordinary | of Issued | |
| Name | Shares held | Ordinary Shares |
| Pollen Street Partners | ||
| Lindsey McMurray | 11,946,390 | 18.77% |
| James Scott | 850,837 | 1.34% |
| Michael England | 3,401,085 | 5.34% |
| Matthew Potter | 3,295,938 | 5.18% |
| Howard Garland | 1,060,547 | 1.67% |
| Ian Gascoigne | 2,417,169 | 3.80% |
| Pollen Street Senior Managers | ||
| Julian Dale | 221,281 | 0.35% |
| Christopher Palmer | 295,041 | 0.46% |
| Michael Katramados | 110,640 | 0.17% |
| David Dawson | 110,640 ––––––––––––– |
0.17% –––––––––––– |
| Total | 23,709,568 ––––––––––––– ––––––––––––– |
37.26% –––––––––––– –––––––––––– |
Concert Party members, details of whom are set out in paragraph 4.4 of Part III of this document, have dealt in Ordinary Shares during the 12 month period ended on the Latest Practicable Date as follows.
| Name | Date | Transaction | Number of Ordinary Shares |
Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindsey McMurray | 19/02/24 | Purchase of shares from Concert Party members by PCA |
364,300 | £2,000,007.00 |
| Michael England | 19/02/24 | Sale of shares to Concert Party member |
(182,150) | £1,000,003.50 |
| Matthew Potter | 19/02/24 | Sale of shares to Concert Party member |
(182,150) | £1,000,003.50 |
| Michael England | 21/03/24 | Sale of shares to other Pollen Street employees |
(83,334) | £515,837.46 |
| Matthew Potter | 21/03/24 | Sale of shares to other Pollen Street employees |
(83,334) | £515,837.46 |
| Ian Gascoigne | 21/03/24 | Sale of shares to other Pollen Street employees |
(83,332) | £515,825.08 |
| Ian Gascoigne | 21/03/24 | Transfer of shares to Trustees of The Ian & Santa Gascoigne Charitable Foundation |
(150,000) | £928,500.00 |
| Matthew Potter | 28/03/24 | Sale of shares | (160,000) | £1,047,088.00 |
| Ian Gascoigne | 2/05/24 | Sale of shares | (40,000) | £270,556.00 |
| Ian Gascoigne | 7/05/24 | Sale of shares | (160,000) | £1,073,402.08 |
As at the Latest Practicable Date, Investec did not hold a net short position of Ordinary Shares in the Company.
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Save as disclosed in this paragraph 4.7 of Part III of this document and except for intra-Concert Party dealings:
In paragraph 4.7 above and this paragraph 4.8:
Set out below are the closing middle market quotations for Ordinary Shares, as derived from the Official List, for the first dealing day of each of the six months immediately preceding the date of this document and for the Latest Practicable Date:
| Date | Price per Ordinary Share (pence) |
|---|---|
| 01/12/2023 | 578 |
| 03/01/2024 | 628 |
| 01/02/2024 | 594 |
| 01/03/2024 | 554 |
| 01/04/2024 | 672 |
| 03/05/2024 | 677 |
| 15/05/2024 | 693 |
268497 Pollen Street NOM pp20-imp.qxp 20/05/2024 08:10 Page 24
The Executive Directors have service contracts with Pollen Street as follows:
| Name | Date appointed director |
Date of Contract |
Job Title | Current annual salary (£) |
Notice Period |
Expiry/ Review date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindsey McMurray 14 September 2023 | 24 January 2024 | Chief Executive Officer |
550,000 | 12 months | Every 12 months |
|
| Julian Dale | 14 September 2023 | 24 January 2024 | Chief Financial Officer |
350,000 | 12 months | Every 12 months |
The aggregate value of the remuneration paid and all benefits in kind granted the Pollen Street Non-Executive Directors for services in all capacities for the year ended 31 December 2023 was £405,000.00 all of which comprised directors' fees.
The table below reports total remuneration for the year ended 31 December 2023 for each Pollen Street Non-Executive Director in respect of their appointment to the Board of Pollen Street.
| Salary and Fees (£) |
Taxable benefits |
Total (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 170,000 | 0 | 170,000 |
| 85,000 | 0 | 85,000 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 75,000 | 0 | 75,000 |
| 75,000 | 0 | 75,000 –––––––––– |
| 405,000 | 0 | 405,000 –––––––––– –––––––––– |
| –––––––––– –––––––––– –––––––––– |
–––––––––– –––––––––– –––––––––– |
The Chair is entitled to receive an annual fee of £170,000, inclusive of any additional responsibilities on the Board committees. The base annual fee for each other Non-Executive Director will be £65,000 and additional fees will be payable as follows: £10,000 per annum for acting as the Senior Independent Director, £10,000 per annum for chairing the Audit Committee, £10,000 per annum for chairing the Risk Committee, £10,000 per annum for chairing the Remuneration Committee, and £10,000 per annum for chairing the Nomination Committee.
In addition, each Non-Executive Director (including the Chair) will be entitled to be reimbursed for reasonable expenses necessarily incurred arising from the performance of their duties. They will not be eligible to participate in any pension or share scheme operated by the Company, nor will they be eligible for any bonus.
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Save as disclosed below, no contracts have been entered into by the Group, other than in the ordinary course of business, within the period of two years prior to the publication of this document, which are or may be material.
On 18 December 2015 Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) and Pollen Street Capital as the Investment Manager entered into the Investment Manager Agreement, whereby the Investment Manager is appointed to act as investment manager and AIFM of Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) with responsibility for providing portfolio management, risk management and general administrative services in respect of Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc)'s investments.
The Investment Management Agreement was amended immediately following completion of the Combination to be on terms customary for an intra-group arrangement, and to reflect certain other updates as a consequence of the Combination.
The Share Purchase Agreement was entered into on 14 February 2022 between the Company, Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc), and CC Hive L.P. ("CC Hive") and the Pollen Street Partners (CC Hive and the Pollen Street Partners being the "Old Pollen Street Shareholders"). Pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, the Old Pollen Street Shareholders agreed to sell, and Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) agreed to purchase, the entire issued share capital of each of PSCH and PSCPL, in consideration of which Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) issued the Consideration Shares to the Old Pollen Street Shareholders. PSCPL is a holding vehicle for the Pollen Street Partners (other than James Scott) whose only assets are shares in PSCH.
The shares issued as part of the Combination valued the entire issued share capital of PSCH at approximately £285 million based on the closing price of 967.5 pence per Ordinary Share on 14 February 2022 and resulted in Old Pollen Street Shareholders receiving Consideration Shares that were equivalent to approximately 45.90 per cent of the enlarged share capital in the Group on completion of the Combination (in this paragraph 7.2, referred to as "Completion").
268497 Pollen Street NOM pp20-imp.qxp 20/05/2024 08:10 Page 26

* Only Lindsey McMurray, Matthew Potter, Michael England, Ian Gascoigne and Howard Garland are shareholders in PSCPL. James Scott does not hold any shares in PSCPL.
** Figures represent percentage of voting share capital.

Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) gave warranties to the Old Pollen Street Shareholders under the Share Purchase Agreement which are customary for a transaction of this nature. These include, amongst others, warranties in respect of: (i) Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc)'s capacity and authority to enter into and perform the Share Purchase Agreement; (ii) Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc)'s share capital structure; (iii) Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc)'s accounts and interim financial statements; and (iv) events since 30 June 2021. Certain of these warranties were repeated at Completion.
The Share Purchase Agreement contains certain limitations and exclusions on the ability of the Old Pollen Street Shareholders to claim against Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) for breach of warranty or breach of the interim covenants under the Share Purchase Agreement. Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc)'s liability for breach of warranty ceased on Completion.
The Old Pollen Street Shareholders gave, and the Old Pollen Street Shareholders at Completion repeated, warranties to Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) which are customary for a transaction of this nature. These included, among other things, warranties in respect of: (i) each Old Pollen Street Shareholder's power and authority to enter into and perform the Share Purchase Agreement; and (ii) ownership of the relevant shares in PSCH and PSCPL which are the subject of the Share Purchase Agreement.
The Share Purchase Agreement contains certain limitations and exclusions on the ability of Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) to claim against the Old Pollen Street Shareholders under the Share Purchase Agreement for breach of warranty or breach of the interim covenants. The liability of each Old Pollen Street Shareholder for breach of warranty ceased on Completion, save in respect of certain fundamental warranties, and is capped at an amount equal to £300 million multiplied by that Old Pollen Street Shareholder's Allocated Consideration Percentage (as such term is defined in the Share Purchase Agreement). Any claims against an Old Pollen Street Shareholder under the Share Purchase Agreement shall be capable of settlement either in cash or via the return of Consideration Shares.
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The Old Pollen Street Shareholders agreed to give customary "no leakage" undertakings in respect of the period since 31 October 2021, relating to payments by PSCH to or on behalf of the Old Pollen Street Shareholders that are not in the ordinary course of business or included within an agreed list of permitted items.
The Share Purchase Agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales.
On 24 January 2024, the Company entered into separate lock-up agreements with each of the Pollen Street Partners and the Pollen Street Senior Managers on substantially the same terms as the lock-up agreements entered into by Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) and the Pollen Street Partners and the Pollen Street Senior Managers on 30 September 2022. The Pollen Street Partners and the Pollen Street Senior Managers undertook, subject to certain limited exceptions set out in their respective Lock-Up Agreements, not to sell or otherwise dispose of their Consideration Shares for five years following completion of the Combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Pollen Street Partners and Pollen Street Senior Managers are entitled to sell or otherwise dispose of a certain portion of Consideration Shares received in the following proportions and at the following intervals:
| Maximum percentage of Consideration Shares capable of |
Consideration Shares subject to the |
|
|---|---|---|
| Date | being sold (aggregate) | lock-up (aggregate) |
| 30 September 2022 30 September 2024 |
25 43.75 |
75 56.25 |
| 30 September 2025 | 62.5 | 37.5 |
| 30 September 2026 | 81.25 | 18.75 |
| 30 September 2027 | 100 | 0 |
Pursuant to the Lock-Up Agreements, the Pollen Street Partners and the Pollen Street Senior Managers undertook (for a period of 12 months following the end of the Lock-up Period) to consult with, and take into account the reasonable views of, the Group Board (excluding Lindsey McMurray and Julian Dale) before disposing of any Consideration Shares in order to maintain an orderly market for the shares in the Group. Furthermore, the Pollen Street Partners and the Pollen Street Senior Managers undertook (for a period of 12 months following the end of the Lock-up Period) not to dispose of any Consideration Shares carrying more than 5 per cent. of the voting rights conferred by the Consideration Shares in any consecutive period of six months on the day following the end of the Lock-up Period, without the consent of the Group Board (excluding Lindsey McMurray and Julian Dale).
Each Lock-Up Agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales.
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On 24 January 2024, the Company entered into a relationship agreement with Lindsey McMurray and the other members of the Concert Party (the "Relationship Agreement"). Under the terms of the agreement, the members of the Concert Party undertook that they would: conduct all transactions and arrangement with any member of the Group on arm's length and on normal commercial term; if appointed as a member of the Board, for the duration of the appointment disclose to the Board any matter which could give rise to a potential conflict of interest between them (and any family member or related trust) and a member of the Group; and not exercise their powers to prevent the Company from being managed in accordance with the principles of good governance and in compliance with the UK Listing Authority's listing rules, UK Listing Authority's disclosure guidance and transparency rules, the market abuse regulation (as defined in the relationship agreement) and the Corporate Governance Code. The members of the Concert Party are entitled to appoint two-sevenths of the Board for so long as they (and any other employees of a member of the Group) collectively hold at least two-sevenths of the Company's Ordinary Shares or one-seventh of the Group Board for so long as such persons hold at least one-seventh of the Company's Ordinary Shares. Moreover, so long as Lindsey McMurray holds at least 10 per cent. of the Ordinary Shares of the Company if she is not otherwise an executive member of the Board, under the terms of the Relationship Agreement, the members of the Concert Party agreed that they would appoint her as director of the Company.
Please see section 6 of the Chair's Letter for a list of the documents which will be made available for inspection as required, and details of how to receive hard copies of this document and any documents incorporated by reference herein.
| Defined Terms: | |
|---|---|
| The "Companies Law" | means the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) |
| "2023-2024 Awards" | means any awards granted under the Share Plans or Legacy Share Plans by the Company or Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc) to a member of the Concert Party in the period from 30 September 2022 to the date of the AGM |
| "2023-2024 Awards Grant" | means the grant of the 2023-2024 Awards by the Company or Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc), the vesting and/or exercise of the 2023-2024 Awards by any member of the Concert Party and the subsequent issue or transfer of Ordinary Shares to any member of the Concert Party in settlement of such 2023-2024 Awards |
| "2025 Awards" | means any awards granted under the Share Plans by the Company to a member of the Concert Party in the period from the date of the AGM to the following annual general meeting of the Company |
| "2025 Awards Grant" | means the grant of the 2025 Awards by the Company, the vesting and/or exercise of the 2025 Awards by any member of the Concert Party and the subsequent issue or transfer of Ordinary Shares to any member of the Concert Party in settlement of such 2025 Awards |
| "AGM" | means the 2024 annual general meeting of the Company to be held on at 3.00 p.m. on 13 June 2024 at Slaughter and May, One Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8YY |
|---|---|
| "Annual Report" | means the Company's Annual Report and Financial Statements in respect of the year ended 31 December 2023 |
| "Authority to Make Market Purchases" |
means the authority to make market purchases of Ordinary Shares to be proposed to Shareholders in the terms of Resolution 14 set out in the Notice of AGM |
| "Awards Grants" | means the 2023-2024 Awards Grant and the 2025 Awards Grant |
| "Board" or "Directors" | means Pollen Street's board of Directors, and 'Director' shall mean any one of them, as the context requires |
| "Business Day" | means any day (other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday) on which banks are generally open for business in London and Guernsey |
| "Chair" | means Robert Sharpe |
| "Chair's Letter" | means the letter from the Chair of the Company set out in Part I of this document |
| "Code" | means the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers |
| "Combination" | means the all share combination between Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street Limited) and PSCHL which completed on 30 September 2022 |
| "Company Secretary" | means Link Company Matters Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales with company number 05306796 and with its registered address at Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, England, LS1 4DL |
| "Concert Party" | means that group of Shareholders which the Panel has confirmed is deemed to act in concert, being the Pollen Street Partners and the Pollen Street Senior Managers (including their related trusts and close relatives (each as defined in the Code)) from time to time |
| "Concert Party Directors" | means those Directors who are members of the Concert Party, namely Lindsey McMurray and Julian Dale |
| "Consideration Shares" | means the ordinary shares of £0.01 each in the capital of Pollen Street Limited (formerly Pollen Street plc), issued as consideration for the Combination |
| "CREST" | means the relevant system (as defined in the CREST Regulations in respect of which Euroclear UK & International Limited is the Operator (as defined in the CREST Regulations)) in accordance with which securities may be held and transferred in uncertificated form |
| "CREST Regulations" | means the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 (SI 2001 / 3755), as amended |
| "DBP" | means the Company's Deferred Bonus Plan 2024 |
| "Executive Directors" | means Lindsey McMurray and Julian Dale |
268497 Pollen Street NOM pp20-imp.qxp 20/05/2024 08:10 Page 29
| "FCA" | means Financial Conduct Authority |
|---|---|
| "Form of Proxy" | means the form of proxy accompanying this document |
| "Group" | means the Company and its subsidiaries |
| "Guernsey" | means the Island of Guernsey |
| "Independent Shareholders" | means those Shareholders who are not members of the Concert Party |
| "Investec" | means Investec Bank plc |
| "Latest Practicable Date" | means 14 May 2024 |
| "Legacy Share Plans" | means the Pollen Street plc Long Term Incentive Plan 2022 and the Pollen Street plc Deferred Bonus Plan 2022 |
| "London Stock Exchange" | means London Stock Exchange Group plc |
| "LTIP" | means the Company's Long Term Incentive Plan 2024 |
| "Non-Concert Party Directors" | means those Directors who are not Concert Party Directors |
| "Non-Executive Directors" | means Robert Sharpe, Jim Coyle, Gustavo Cardenas, Joanne Lake and Richard Rowney |
| "Notice of AGM" | means the notice of the AGM set out at in Part II of this document |
| "Official List" | means the Official List of the FCA |
| "Ordinary Shares" | means Ordinary Shares of £0.01 each in the Company |
| "Panel" | means the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers |
| "Pollen Street" or the "Company" | means Pollen Street Group Limited |
| "Pollen Street Partners" | means each of Lindsey McMurray, James Scott, Michael England, Matthew Potter, Howard Garland and Ian Gascoigne |
| "Pollen Street Senior Managers" | means each of Julian Dale, Christopher Palmer, Michael Katramados and David Dawson |
| "PSCHL" | means Pollen Street Capital Holdings Limited, a non-cellular company limited by shares incorporated in Guernsey under registered number 58102 whose registered office is at PO Box 255 Trafalgar Court, Les Banques, St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 3QL |
| "PSCPL" | means Pollen Street Capital Partners Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales with registered number 12543099 and having its registered office at 11-12 Hanover Square, London, United Kingdom, W1S 1JJ |
| "Registrar" | means Computershare |
| "Shareholders" | means the holders of Ordinary Shares in the Company from time to time |
| "Share Plans" | means the LTIP and the DBP |
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"Waiver Resolutions" means Resolutions 18 and 19 in the form set out in the Notice of AGM approving a waiver of the mandatory offer provisions set out in Rule 9 and Rule 37 of the Code.
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